His Offer
by bulletproof trucker hats
Summary: Naraku finally has Kagome, and he gives her his offer, of power, of riches...of InuYasha's life. What will her reply be?
1. Offer

She stared at him.

He smirked back.

"Anything you desire is yours." he told her. "Only join me."

"No." Her quiet, defiant voice echoed through the throne room.

His smirk thinned, but didn't disappear.

"I can offer you power."

"No."

"I can offer you riches."

"No."

"I can offer you the world for your plaything."

"No."

Her eyes widened in horror, as her mate was dragged in, bleeding heavily on the stone floor.

"I can offer you his _life_."

Her mate looked up at that, his eyes begging her not to do it.

She looked away from him, to the twisted, evil enemy.

"Yes."

His smirk widened in triumph.

"Kagome, _no!" _Her mate struggled to free himself, to save her.

Naraku wrapped her in his foul embrace. "I keep my promises, miko." he murmured against her hair, then, louder, "Take the puppy away." he ordered.

Kagome couldn't watch.

"InuYasha…I'm so sorry."

A single tear fell to the floor.


	2. Reason

Naraku watched her.

The miko was wasting away.

She never spoke to anyone, besides Kohaku.

She hardly ate.

She spent her days gazing out the window, the only link Naraku allowed her to the outside world.

"Why won't you speak to me?" he asked, stepping in front of her.

She looked away.

"Eat something." he ordered her. "You are no use to me dead."

She threw the plate to the floor.

He had the window boarded up.

She stayed there, as if she could still could see out.

He forbid Kohaku from speaking to her.

A sad, lonely look entered her eyes, but still, she didn't speak to _him_.

"This is ridiculous!" he raved. "You are in_ my_ castle, under _my_ protection. You are _my_ miko. Why do you pretend I do not exist?"

Finally, she spoke.

"It's true that I am in your manor, under your care, Naraku." she said softly. "But to you, I am simply another form of Kikyo. I will _never_ be yours."

He snarled in fury. "What does it matter, who I think you are, miko?"

She smiled sadly. "You offered me power."

"Yes, I did." he said impatiently.

"You offered me his life."

"Yes."

"You offered me riches."

"Yes."

"You offered me the world for my plaything."

"Yes."

"You offered me anything I desired…"

"Yes."

"Except for what I _truly_ wanted."

"Which was?" He frowned, curious despite himself.

"To be loved for _who I am_. Not because I'm the reincarnation of Kikyo. And _that_ is why I will never, _ever _be your miko."


	3. Knowing

She was alone.

Naraku had gone, taking most of his minions with him, and she was all alone in the manor.

Kanna approached.

Ah. So, Naraku had left her a keeper.

_Mostly_ alone, then.

Was it too much to ask that he didn't care for her anymore? That he lost interest?

Apparently.

"What do _you_ want?" Kagome asked.

Kanna said nothing, the norm for her, and held up her mirror.

Tears welled up in Kagome's eyes, as she watched the rapid succession of images.

_Her mate, her love her _InuYasha_, going to hell, in the arms of Kikyo. It seemed he hadn't loved her for _herself_, either._

_Sango, bearing Miroku's child. Mother and baby dying during the birth._

_Miroku, in his grief, following his wife and son in death._

_Shippo, alone, weak, easy prey for the bigger, stronger youkai that killed him._

_Kirara, haunting the ruins of the taijia village._

_Koga and Ayame, finally mated, forgetting about _her_._

_Rin, falling to some disease._

_Jaken slaughtered in battle._

_Sesshomaru, living in recluse, mourning his losses._

Faster and faster the pictures moved, until Kagome fell to her knees, sobbing.

"Please…just stop…"

Kanna looked on in disdain.

"So _weak_. What does Master Naraku see in you?"

She left.

Naraku found Kagome exactly where she had fallen, the scent of tears still fresh.

"Has someone harmed you, miko?"

She nodded.

"Who? Shall I kill them for you?"

She looked up at him, and said a single, damning sentence.

"You _knew_."

And Naraku immediately vowed to punish the void-child. He hadn't wanted to hurt the miko- Kagome.

But he _had_.

Inadvertently, but still…

"Why didn't you _tell_ me?" she asked accusingly.

Naraku found himself telling the truth, for once.

"I did not wish to harm you."

"Bull." she spat. "It's never bothered you _before."_

This was true as well. But Naraku found his heart- his grubby, ningen heart, that last remnant of the bandit, Onigumo- had softened towards his miko.

And it scared him.


	4. Lonely

Onigumo remembered wooing women, before he had met Kikyo.

Before he had become Naraku.

Actually, it was more like _stalking_, but it was more experience than Naraku had.

Kagome found a bundle of dead, withered flowers next to her door.

And the gifts.

A gorgeous kimono.

Glittering jewels, necklaces, and bracelets.

Naraku made it his business to know the miko's habits.

Her likes and dislikes.

Which of his gifts made her smile.

He _needed_ to see her smile.

Kagome looked up from her boarded window.

There was Naraku.

"Miko." he greeted her.

It was _always _'miko'. Never her name.

Did he think that by calling her that, he could pretend she was Kikyo? That he had the miko he had lusted after for so long?

She didn't reply, and glanced away from him.

"You are lonely." he said.

It wasn't a question, but she answered anyway.

"Yes."

A soft mewl came from behind Naraku. She raised an eyebrow.

He looked slightly embarrassed.

And he brought forth a tiny tabby kitten from behind his back.

"So you won't be alone." he explained.


	5. Anything

She named it 'Sabishii'. Lonely.

After Naraku had given Sabishii to her, she realized.

The kimono.

The jewelry.

The flowers.

They had all been from _him_.

She had Kohaku guide her to the hanyou's chambers.

He didn't notice her come in.

Naraku sat alone in the dark.

Alone. Always so alone.

She spoke.

"You're lonely."

It wasn't a question, yet he replied.

"Yes, miko. I am."

His voice was tired, and a bit mocking.

And he _still_ called her 'miko'. Not Kagome. Never Kagome.

"I have a name, you know." she said, sitting down next to him on the floor. "It's _Kagome_. Kagome Higurashi."

He laughed, the first true laugh she had ever heard from him.

Not a snicker.

Not a cackle.

Not even cruel or maniacal.

An actual laugh.

"You're not scared of me in the least, are you, miko?"

"I used to be."

"And now?"

"Not so much."

He laughed again, reaching over to brush her hair out of her face.

"Thank you…_Kagome_."

Her voice, when she spoke again, was quiet and hesitant.

"You didn't tell me…because you really _didn't_ want me hurt."

His heart tightened.

"I would do anything to see you happy." he told her. "Anything."

He smelled her tears, but there was a smile in her voice.

"Thank _you…_Naraku."

"Kagome?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you here with me now? Why did you come to me?"

There was quiet for a moment. And then, her reply.

"So you wouldn't be alone."


End file.
